Bottle-sealing machine.



No. 711,204. Patented Oct. [4, I902;

H. T. GAY.

BDTTLE SEALING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 25, 1902.) (N0 I BL) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 7ll-,204. Patented Oct. I4, |902..

. v .H. T. GAY.

BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE.

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i g m 0 M m w wu'ruzsgas I UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN T. GAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS,TO THE ALUMINUM-CORK SEAL COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE-SEALING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 1,204, dated October14, 1902.

Application filed February 25, 1902. Serial No. 95,543. (No model.)

To aZZ 1072,0111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN T. GAY, of the city of Baltimore, State ofMaryland, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-Sealing Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for securing in abottle-mouth a sealing device of the character shownand de- IO scribedin Letters Patent Nos. 662,263 and 669,25e, granted to me on the th. dayof November, 1900, and the 5th day of March, 1901, respectively, forbottlesealing devices, to which reference should be made. By ref- 15erence to the said patents it will be seen that the said sealing deviceor plug consists of asheet-metal flanged disk having stamped or drawntherefrom a downwardly-projecting extension, around which is placed acork sealzo ing-gasket.

The bottle which is adapted to receive the above briefly-describedsealing device has a month which is considerably larger in diameter thanthe throat, in which is formed an annular seat for the gasketedsealing-plug, and immediately above the said seat is an annular grooveinto which the flange or body of the sealing-plug is expanded to holdthe sealing device in place after the compression of its joint-forminggasket.

The office of the present machine is, therefore, to compress the corkgasket between the annular seat in the bottle and the under side of thesealing-plug and while the gasket is so 5 held to expand the flange orbody of the plug to hold the gasketed plug firmly in place within thebottle-mouth.

A secondary office of the present machine is to automatically feed thesealing-plugs in a proper position to the sealing-head, as willhereinafter fully appear.

In a further description of the said invention which follows referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and inwhich- Figure 1 is an exterior side view of the improved machine. Fig. 2is an enlarged central side section of the sealing-head and certain ofthe sealing-plug-feeding attachments looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exterior view of certain parts ofFig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in that figure.Fig. 4 is an exterior side view of certain parts shown in section inFig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 5 is asection of Fig. 4, taken on the dotted line A A, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow in that figure, together with certainparts of the machine shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is an enlargedpartly-sectional view of a rotary hopper into which are placed thesealing-plugs to be fed in a proper position to the sealing-head,together with certain of its attachments. Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 6,taken on the dotted line B B, looking in the direction indicated by thearrow in that figure. Fig. Sis an enlarged view of parts of Fig. 6,together with a sealing-plug, which is shown in its correct position.Fig. 9 is an under side view of a sealing-plug and a portion of thefeeding apparatus, of which the hopper before alluded to is an element.Fig.

10 is an enlarged view of the ratchet-and-pawl mechanism shown in Fig.1, whereby thehopper before referred to is rotated. Fig. 11 is asectional view of the lower part of Fig. 2 looking in the directionindicated by the arrow, showing the bottle-head in the position which itoccupies when the sealing-head is in its lowest position and thesegmental expander distended within the sealing-plug. Fig. 12 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, illustrating a different construction and arrangementof certain of the sealing-plug-feeding appli ances. Fig. 13 is a sectionof Fig. 12, taken on the dotted line C and looking in the directionindicated by the arrow.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the stand 1 of themachine consists of a column. The 'upper part of the stand 1 is boredand fitted with the sliding bar 2, (shown only in dotted lines in Fig.1,) having abracket 3, which extends laterally therefrom through a slotin the wall of the stand in a 5 manner substantially the same as thatshown and described in my application No. 59,916, filed on thelirthdayof May, 1901, to which reference should beinade. To the bracket 3 issecured the sealin g-plu g-applyin g head, which class.

The sealing-plug-applying head, which as an entirety is denoted by 4inFig. 1, consists of a hollow cylindrical block 6, (see Fig. 2,) into theupper end of which is screwed the threaded plug 7. The threaded plug '7is bored to receive the upper end of the spindle 9, and the means ofconnection between these two devices consists of a pin 10, secured inand extending through the said spindle, with its ends restingin a slot12 in the said threaded plug. By this means the said spindle issusceptible of a slight vertical movement independently of the threadedplug. The upward independent movement of the spindle9 is limited by thescrew 13 and its downward movement by the lower end of the slot 12.

The spindle 9 rests loosely in a sealing-plug expander consisting of ahollow cylinder 14, which from the point 16 to its lower end is sawed orotherwise divided into the springsegments 17, (shown in Figs. 2 and 5,)and the end of the spindle is conical and bears against the inclinedbroken annular surface 19, formed by the segments 17, as shown in Fig.2. which collectively form the expanding device, has an exterior lip 20,of a diameter which is slightly less than that of the interior of thesealing-plug to be expanded within the bottlemouth.

In Fig. 11 is shown a sectional view of the upper end of a bottle 22,containing a sealingplug (denoted by 23) and certain portions of thesealing-head, together with the ends of the segmentsof the expander,illustrating their relative positions after the expanding operation.

24 is a sleeve loose on the spindle 9, and 25 a spring coiled around thesaidsleeve and extending endwise between the threaded plug 7 and theupper end of the expander.

27 is a cylindrical shell secu red by set-screws to the cylindricalblock 6. Within the lower end of this shell is a vertically-slidinghollowfaced ring 29, having a central hole which is smaller than thebottle-head, as shown in Fig. 11.

30 is a spiral spring within the shell 27, confined endwise between thering 29 and an annular plate 31, held to the under side of thecylindrical block 6 by means of screws, as shown in Fig. 2. The saidplate fitsloosely around the reduced portion of the expander and isnormally in contact with a shoulder 33 of the same. By reference to Fig.2 it will be seen that the expander is counterbored, the upper partfitting the larger portion of the spindle and the lower part the reducedportion. I

The bottom of the counterbore of the ex- The end of each of thesegments,

pander is some distance below the shoulder 35 on the spindle 9, formedby itsdiiferential diameters when the expanderisinits lowest positionwith reference to the said spindle, as shown in Fig. 2.

37 is a slot extending transversely through the ring 29, and within itare the sealing-plug holders 39, which consist oflongitudinallychanneled strips hinged to the ring 29, as shown in Figs.4 and 5, and held yieldingly in a horizontal plane by means of thesprings 40.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, 41 is a lateral openingin the shell 27for the passage of sealing-plugs to within the ring 29, the rim of thesaid plugs entering the channels in the holders 39, which support them.

42 is a conduit leading from the rotary sealing-plug-feeding hopper 44,hereinafter more particularly described, to the lateral opening 41 inthe shell 27. The lower portion of this conduit is secured to the shell27 by the stud 45. The said sealing-plug hopper consists of abell-shaped box fastened to the shaft 52, one end of which is journaledin the fixed circular plate 47, a lower extension of which forms oneplate or side of the conduit 42, and the other end of the shaft isjournaled in a bracket 53, extending from the upper end of the saidconduit, as shown in Fig. 6. 56 is a ratchet-wheel also fastened to thesaid shaft 52.

57 is an arm loose on the shaft 52 and connected at its free end bymeans of a link 59 to a stud 60, projecting from the frame 1. The saidarm is provided with a hinged pawl 62, the point of which is adapted toengage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 56. With this constructionwhen the sealing-head is lowered the pawl 62 pushes around theratchet-wheel 56, carrying with it the shaft 52 and the hopper 44, andwhen this operation is performed rapidly the momentum of the hopperserves to rotate it to a greater extent than that efiected directly bythe pawl. In other words, with a limited movement of the pawl the hopperis made to perform at least one complete rotation, so that in thesealing of bottles, as hereinafter described, the hopper is continuouslyin rotation.

The hopper 44 is provided with an opening (not shown) at one sidethereof, through which it is charged with sealing-plugs, and a suitabledoor to close the said opening, and so prevent the discharge of theplugs, except through the proper channel.

The fixed circular plate 47 has a flange 49 at its circumference, whichflange is continuous, except at the bottom, where there is an openingleading to the conduit 42. (See Fig. 7.) The flange 67 of the rotaryhopper 42 is in contact with the edge of the non-rotary flange 49 of theplate 47, as shown in Fig. 6. The

rotary hopper 44 has also a rim integral with and projecting from theface of the flange 67, and the said rim having a smaller diameter thanthe flange 49 there exists between them the annular passage 84.

IIS

is a disk with a certain inward projection 71, having a hub which, likethe hopper 44, is secured to the shaft 52. The inner face of this diskis in contact with the rim 75, thus preventing the contents of thehopper entering the annular passage 84 except through the openings 77 inthe rim 75. (Shown particularly in Fig. 7.)

74 74 are sealing plug carriers held by screws to the inner surface ofthe disk 70. These carriers in the rotation of the hopper serve asguides to conduct the sealing-plugs from the hopper to the openings 77,and were there no assorting appliances provided to prevent the entranceof sealing-plugs while the same are in an improper position to the said'openings all the scaling-plugs in the hopper would be conducted to themand thence by way of the annular passage 84 to the conduit 42.

79 is a semi-annular stop-plate. (Best shown i in Fig. 7, but shown alsoin Figs. 6 and S.) This stop-plate serves to close the openings 77 inthe rim 75 as they reach the vertical central line of the hopper at thetop and to retain them in a closed condition until they pass beyond thesaid vertical line at the bottom of the hopper, as will be readilyunderstood by reference to Fig. 7.

The assorting appliances consist of the pins 80, which are in pairs, onepin of each pair being in the rim 75 and the other in the curved portionof the carrier 74, which adjoins it.

By reference to Figs. 8 and 9 it will be seen that these pins are ofsuch length and are so situated with reference to each other and to theflange 67 and the disk 70 that they allow only sealing-plugs from thehopper which present themselves in the proper position to enter thepassage 83 between the curved portion of the carrier and the rim 75 andthence by way of the opening 77 to pass to the semi-annular passage 84,exterior of the said rim and which leads to the conduit 42. To effectthe result described, the distance between the ap proaching ends of thepins 80 of each pair is made less than the diameter of the cork gasketof the sealing-plugs 23 and greater than that of the body of the same,as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In consequence of this construction thesealingplugs which present themselves to the entrance of the passages 83in a wrong position are stopped by their cork gaskets coming in contactwith the pins 80. This assorting of the sealing-plugs will be more fullydescribed in the description of the operation of the machine andparticularly that part thereof which relates to the automatic feeding ofthe said plugs to the sealinghead.

The mechanism just described effects the supplying to the conduit ofsealing-plugs in the position which they must necessarily occupy toadmit of their insertion into the bottle-mouth, and I will now describethe devices whereby one sealing-plug at a time is forced into theopening 41 in the shell 27 and to a position directly over the head ofthe bottle 22, while the next sealing-plug is carried to the place justvacated by the one moved to the bottle, and also the means whereby thesealing-plugs which follow are held back, so as not to interfere withthe movement of those directly operated upon in the feeding operation.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that theshell 27 is provided with the vertical slot 85, through which extendsthe stud 87, carrying the notched upright 89. is a branched arm adaptedto vibrate on the pin 91, extending through a stud92, screwed into theshell 27 immediately above the slot 85. The spring 93, coiled about thepin 91, with its ends bearing against the pin 94 and its looped portionagainst the outer surface of the shell, operates to hold the said armyieldingly in its lowest position. This arm carries the fingers 96 and97, the former of which is spring-held. These fingers enter a slot 99 inthe conduit 42 and are in the path of the sealing-plugs as the same passto the sealing-head. 100 is another spring-held and angular arm hingedat 101 to a stud 102, projecting from the shell 27. T is arm bearsagainst a pin 104, extending laterally from the upright 89 on the stud87. The said arm is provided with a projection 106, adapted to engagewith the under side of a pin 107 on one side of the arm 90, so as totemporarily hold the said arm when the same is elevated. When the arm 90is in its elevated position, the arm 100 is allowed to move outward uponthe elevation of the pin 104 with the upright 89.

109 is a latch secured in a slot 110 in the arm 90, with its hookresting in the notch before alluded to as being in the upright 89, I

and is the means whereby a motion inan upward direction is imparted tothe arm 90 and its fingers 96 and 9. The reverse motion of this arm andits attachments is offected by the coiled spring 93, before referred to.i i

11.1 is a plate-spring (shown partially-dotted in Fig. 2) which passesthrough an aperture in the side of the conduit. This spring opposes thepassage of sealing-plugs from the conduit and serves to hold back thosenot in a correct position pass between the pins 80 to the passages 83and escape therefrom through the openings 77 before they have &

' Those sealing-plugs which cannot pass between the said pins for thereason that they the lu s are in an incorrect osition are by.

P o P the said pins carried upward through the mass of plugs in thehopper, and as they rest on the inclined surface 72 of the inwardprojection 71 of the disk (70 they fall to the surface of the mass. Inthe rotation of the hopper the sealing-plugs are thus shaken up and madeto constantly change their positions. The conduit being supplied withsealing-plugs with the lowest one bearing against the platespring 111,the arm 90 is vibrated by hand twice. In the first vibration the stoppedsealing-plu g is carried to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2and in the second conducted to the interior of the ring 29, where it issupported by the channeled strips 39 directly over the bottle-mouth. Atthe same time another plug is brought to the position in which itisshown in the said figure. A hottle is now placed on the spring-held oryielding seat 8, and if foot-power is to be used in the sealingoperation the attendant forces the treadle down, thereby causing thesealing-head to descend and bring the hollowfaced ring 29in contact withthe bottle-head, when the further downward movement of the said ring issuspended. In the further descent of the sealing-head the spiral spring30 is compressed, and the expander 14, entering the sealing-plug,pushesit from the channeled strips 39 into the bottle-mouth, where its corkedgasket is forced tightly in contact with the annular seat therein, asshown in Fig. 11. When the resistance of the coiled spring 25 isovercome, which takes place when the cork gasket is sufficientlycompressed on the seat in the bottle-mouth, a downward movement of thespindle 9 independently of the expander takes place, and the conical endof the spindle acting upon the inclined inner surface of the segments 17causes the said segments to distend and the wall or bodyof thesealing-plug to be thereby expanded in the annular groove in thebottle-mouth, as shown in Fig. 11. The distension of the seg ments islimited by the resistance offered by the yielding bottle-seat 8, thuspreventing a dangerous lateral strain on the bottle-head. It is duringthe descent of the sealing-head or that part thereof wherein thedistance between the plate 31 and the ring 29 is decreased that theupward movement of the arm 90, carrying the fingers 96 and 97, takesplace and wherein the said fingers engage with the two sealing-plugsnext to the one which is directly inserted and expanded within thebottle-mouth in the manner hereinbefore described, and it is upon therelease of the treadle when the sealing-head ascends and assumes itsoriginal position and the sealed bottle is left on the seat that thefeeding forward of the two sealing-plugs takes place and the machine isplaced in condition for the next sealing operation.

It will be understood that the interlocking of the pin 107 with theprojection 106 is only of a temporary character, as the pin is almostimmediately released by the action of the pin 104 upon the lowerinclined surface of the arm 100, of which the said projection is anintegral part. I

In the foregoing description I have described a certain combination ofdevices for feeding the sealing-plugs from the conduit 42 to thechanneled strips 39 in the ring 29. I will now describe anotherconstruction and arrangement, which is illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.In this alternate construction the arm 90 is provided with the fingers96 and 97, and the latter is furnished with the pin 112, which in theretrograde or upward movement of the said arm rides up the flangedincline 114, which is hinged at 115 to the inner plate of the conduit.This construction prevents the finger 97 being dragged over thesealingplug, which in the forward movement of the said finger has to becarried to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. In other words,it serves to lift the finger 97 as it passes backward over the saidsealing-plug. As the arm 90 reaches its extreme backward or its highestposition, or where the point of the finger 97 is above the saidsealing-plug, the pin 112 falls and in its downward motion passes underthe flange 116 of the incline 11 1. The said finger passes within thesealingplug and engages with the inner surface of its body, so that inthe next forward motion of the finger the sealing-plug is carried withit to the position shown in Fig. 2. Instead of the plate-spring 111,(illustrated in Fig. 2,) which serves as ayielding obstruction to theforward movement of the sealing-plugs in the conduit, I show in Figs. 12and 13 hinged stops 117 and 119. The ones 117 are shown in Fig. 13,which, as before stated, is a section of Fig. 12 taken on the dottedline C. In the modified construction the lower portion of the outerplate of the conduit is illustrated as hinged to give access to theinterior of the conduit at a point where the active feeding mechanism issituated, and this hinged portion is held in a closed condition by meansof a hook 120. (Shown only in the dotted lines in Fig. 12.) The notchedupright 89 is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, andit serves the same purposeviz., that of elevating the arm 90-and thespringheld arm 100, like the one before described in connection withFig. 2, has the projection 106, with which the pin 107 on the arm 90engages to hold the latter arm temporarily in its highest position anduntil it is released by the inclined surface on the arm 100 being forcedin by the pin 104. The spring 93 in the modified construction consistsof a plate instead of a bent wire, but its office is the same-win, toyieldingly retain the arm 90 in its normal or lowest position.

It will be understood that although I have described two satisfactorilyoperating constructions of the active feeding mechanism I do not limitmy invention to either of them, as others may be devised, the importantelements being the dual fingers, which, in connection with theircooperating devices, serve to feed two sealing-plugs toward thesealinghead at each forward movement, one sealingplng being seated inthe sustaining devices in the sealing-head and the other, whichfollowsit, being carried to the position formerly occupied by the firstor to the one just vacated by it.

I claim as my invention 1. In a bottle-sealing machine, a sealingheadwhich comprises a shell having a lateral opening therein for theintroduction of sealing-plugs thereto,combined with a springheld ringsituated within the said shell having an inner diameter which is lessthan that of the head of the bottle to be sealed, and having a lateralaperture leading to the lateral opening in the said shell, spring-heldsealing-plug holders situated within the said ring and in alinement withaperture leading to the lateral opening in the said shell, a slottedconduit having its discharge end in communication with the lateralopening in the shell, stop mechanism to yieldingly hold back the columnof sealing-plugs in the conduit, a pivoted finger with means to vibrateit longitudinally of the aperture in the springheld ring and the slot ofthe conduit to force a sealing-plug from the stop mechanism to thesealing-plug holders, means to push the sealingplug from the holdersinto the mouth of the bottle while the head of the same is in contactwith the said spring-held ring, and appliances to secure the saidsealing-plug within the mouth of the bottle, substantially as specified.

2. In a bottle-sealing machine, a sealinghead which comprises a shellhaving a lateral opening therein for the introduction of sealing-plugsthereto,combined with a springheld ring situated within the said shell,having an inner diameter which is less than that of the head of thebottle to be sealed, and provided with a lateral aperture leading to thelateral opening in the said head, springheld sealing-plug holderssituated within the said ring and in alinement with the aperture leadingto the lateral opening in the said shell, a slotted conduit having itsdischarge end in communication with the lateral opening in the shell,stop mechanism to yieldingly hold back the column of sealing-plugs inthe conduit, a system of pivoted fingers with means to vibrate themlongitudinally of the aperture in the spring-held ring and the slot ofthe conduit, to force sealing-plugs from the stop mechanism to thesealing-plug holders, means to push the sealing-plugsupported by theholders into the mouth of the bottle while the head of the same is incontact with the spring-held ring, and to expand the said sealing-plugwithin the mouth of the bottle, substantially as specified.

3. In a bottle-sealing machine, the combination of a shell having in itslower end a loose ring with an inner diameter which is less than that ofthe head of the bottle to be sealed and which is yieldingly held in itslowest position with reference to the said shell, combined with asealing-plug-expanding device having an up-and-down movementindependently of the said ring, which expanding device embodies a hollowcylinder the lower portion of which is divided into segments, and itsextreme end provided with alip, and the said segments having inclinedinner surfaces, a central spindle having a fixed position with respectto the said shell and provided with a conical point adapted to bearagainst the inclined surfaces of the segments, and means whereby thesaid spindle is forced tightly against the inclined surfaces of thesegments to force them apart and thereby expand the terminal lip whenthe same is seated in a bottle-sealing plug susceptible of distention orexpansion in a bottle-mouth, substantially as specified.

4. In a mechanism to assort bottle-sealing devices, and feed the same toa conduit lead ing to a bottle-sealing head, an exteriorlyflanged rotaryhopper having a ported rim carrying sealing-plug-assorting pins, whichported rim projects from the flange, and a fixed covering plate or headwith which the said rim forms an annular space in communication with theconduit leading to the sealing-head, combined with a disk situatedbetween the flanged hopper and the stationary head thereof, adapted torotate with the said hopper the said disk having an inward projectionand sealing-plug-assorting-pins which cooperate with the pins in theported rim to admit of the discharge of such sealing-plugs as will passbetween the said assorting devices through the said rim-ports to theannular space around the said rim, and thence to the conduit,substantially as specified.

HERMAN T. GAY.

